Adult students find answers to questions on a test during a free English course provided by the district in partnership with Literacy Council of Tyler on Feb 8.

Family members of Chapel Hill ISD staff and students gathered Tuesday night inside Jackson’s Elementary with high hopes and dreams of improving their lives. Thanks to a partnership with the Literacy Council of Tyler, members of the community now have the chance to learn basic English skills for free.

The classes are available at no cost and open to any adult in the surrounding East Texas communities.

Jadwiga Walters, Chapel Hill ISD director of Bilingual and ESL programs, said the adult students will be provided with a textbook, workbook and a code for the computer program.

Walters said the district was in search of engagement with parents, and they came up with the idea of bringing a resource or class that will benefit them, especially with a language barrier that is always present.

“Sometimes that keeps families away because they don’t know how to communicate or they don’t feel comfortable enough to try and make that connection. For us, I feel like it’s our responsibility to make sure we create that bridge and let them know they have a local contact, and hopefully this will allow more families to not only participate in our classes but also with the events we will be having in the future,” she said.

Walters also mentioned this program was once established in the district, but it’s been more than 10 years since it took place.

The program was first limited to Chapel Hill ISD parents and staff but is now open to all community members interested in joining.

Maria Renteria and Maurilio Zuñiga, Winona County residents, both attended the English classes on Tuesday night. Renteria has a daughter who attends Chapel Hill ISD and Zuñiga’s wife works for the district.

Both were eager to learn English with one mission — to better their lives.

“We’ve had a while since we attended school and this is a new step for us that we want to do for our own good and our families,” said Zuñiga. “I’ve missed a lot of better job opportunities because I don’t speak or write in English, and I’ve always wanted this opportunity. What a good thing it is that these people are donating their time to give it to us. It all depends on us, and the desire to move forward.”

Zuñiga and Renteria both mentioned they’ve been in search of programs outside of Tyler that teach English but had no luck.

“It’s difficult because we’re starting but if we give it our all, we can learn. It is difficult but thanks to the people who can help us to continue learning,” Renteria said.

“It’s never too late for something, never too late for something you really need,” Zuñiga added.

Renteria mentioned she hopes more adults enroll in the class and said she enjoys the atmosphere of learning in person, especially with hearing the pronunciation, which allows them to have more confidence and become comfortable when speaking English.

Maria Araujo Ponce, English Second Language Supervisor at Literacy Council of Tyler, led the classroom lessons and emphasized the desire to help better the lives of community members.

“It’s a really good feeling to know that we’re helping them and it’s only Day 2 and they’re already feeling that it’s going to make a big impact in their lives,” Ponce said.

Seeing the impact of the newly established program, Ponce hopes to continue bringing education services to Chapel Hill ISD and even other local school districts.

“I want to grow this program and I want to bring the same model we have in Tyler to Chapel Hill and offer that to the people who live out here to make sure they have an opportunity to get all of the programs and benefit from all the education services that we can provide them,” she said. “It’s never too late and all they need is that chance to be given and they want to learn and we’re happy to help them.”

On the same page as Ponce, Walters mentioned that she hopes to continue the partnership and bring more courses to the district.

“If it’s something our parents are interested in, I would love to be a part of bringing those resources here to them. That’s why it’s important for them to come and start participating in these classes so in that way they can also communicate what their needs are and how our school district can help them,” said Walters.

Literacy Council of Tyler provides services such as citizenship classes, GED, GED in Spanish, business entrepreneurship, career pathway classes, tutoring and volunteering opportunities.

Those interested in the English course can still enroll for the month of February and even have the opportunity to enroll during March, according to Ponce.

Chapel Hill ISD Wise Elementary is set to hold classes Monday and Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. and Jackson Elementary on Tuesday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. until the school year ends for students.

To enroll, call the local Chapel Hill ISD campus, the main central district office at 903-566-2441, or 903-566-1870 for the ESL department of LCT.

For more information about the Literacy Council of Tyler or its programs, contact 903-533-0330.